


They Were Roommates

by leopardgeckoz



Category: Ouran High School Host Club - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, College, M/M, Mild Language, Multi, Nudity, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-11
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2021-03-03 06:01:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24050110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leopardgeckoz/pseuds/leopardgeckoz
Summary: Who is Kaoru without Hikaru?  When Kaoru makes the choice to attend University in Japan instead of London, he's met with the uncomfortable realization. As Kaoru adjusts to life away from his twin brother, he's forced to face his anxieties and what's potentially worse? His slate isn't completely wiped clean.  Not when Kyoya Ootori walks into their shared dormitory calling him by his brother's name.  Indifferent to their situation, Kyoya and Kaoru navigate dorm living and get to know each other as individuals away from the Host Club.  Experiencing life in new ways and learning each others quirks cause feelings to spark.
Relationships: Fujioka Haruhi/Suoh Tamaki, Hitachiin Kaoru/Ootori Kyouya
Comments: 5
Kudos: 76





	1. Kaoru

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Kaoru meets his roommate,

# Kaoru:

The university was large and spread out over several blocks with different buildings for different majors. The buildings, however, were a mishmash of architecture. Some were brick and sturdy and others had off colored outer side panelling, but the inside of each building was state of the art and up to code. Hokkaido U cared more for the internal structure and learning environments as opposed to uniformity in its buildings which drove Kaoru bonkers. If Hikaru could see the campus, he’d lose his mind, but Hikaru was overseas studying fashion in London while Kaoru took a more practical approach to studying business a bit closer to home. The goal was for Hikaru to be able to visit him whenever he came home, but that plan didn’t go over so well with Hikaru.  


Kaoru thought back to the fight they’d had about him choosing Hokkaido over attending the London College of Fashion. In all honesty, Kaoru didn’t want to study fashion. He agreed to attend school for business so he and Hikaru could run their own fashion line one day but even that was still pushing it. If Kaoru had it his way, he’d have opted out of college and gone to work in one of the libraries or coffee shops in downtown Tokyo. But he didn’t have a say. That just wasn’t the Hitachiin way. 

Kaoru wandered the campus in search of the dormitories. He eventually found Keiteki-Ryo, the men’s dormitory on Hokkaido campus. Originally the dormitories held one student per room but after a charitable donation the dorm hall was renovated. The hall had expanded adding more rooms and was now able to accommodate and house two to four students per room. Though Kaoru was used to sharing a room with his twin brother, he was anxious to start school living with a stranger. He mentally cursed the amount of dependence he and his brother had on each other. He knew as they grew throughout secondary school that they would need to separate eventually and grow into their own independent selves, but he didn’t expect to struggle so much when it finally came to fruition.  


It was Kaoru who made the decision to attend a separate university. It was Kaoru who told Hikaru he had wanted space. It was Kaoru who opted to room with a stranger instead of getting an on campus apartment. So why was he so anxious? Anxiety wasn’t a foreign concept to Kaoru, he’d been diagnosed with it as a kid after throwing a tantrum when his parents had separated him from Hikaru and taken the two on different vacations. The plan was for their parents to trade twins after and try to get to know them as separate people, but Kaoru wouldn’t stand for it and Hikaru was more than happy to constantly be with his brother. Kaoru went through counseling as a child and though he had been sure he had his anxiety under control he could feel the beginnings of an attack.  


Kaoru counted silently to himself as he breathed in deeply through his nose and slowly out through his mouth. If he could head it off before it got worse, then he would be okay. His throat hurt, feeling like he was choking, but he refused to panic. ‘We’ve been here before, we’re okay,’ Kaoru thought as he continued breathing. After a bit, his throat loosened up and Kaoru took a step into the dorm hall. “21, 22, 23- oh,” Kaoru stopped in front of dorm 23. He took another deep breath and knocked before opening the door,  
“hello? I’m your roommate not an intruder, promise,” he inwardly flinched at the statement. An intruder? Really?

The dorm was perfectly tidy. With a bed on either side of the room, a bedside table, a small lamp, and on the right side there was a mini fridge. So, his roommate had been there. Kaoru called his staff to bring his things and soon enough a rolling rack of clothes, a minifridge, a toaster oven, and a few boxes were delivered to his room.  


“Would you like help organizing, Master Kaoru?” Kaoru waved the staff away and they bowed before heading out and leaving him to organize his half of the room. Kaoru pushed the minifridge into a corner and plugged it in right away to let it cool down. He set the rolling rack to the side next to the fridge to keep it out of the way and shoved a narrow rolling bin under his bed. He then went about making the bed when he heard the door to the dormitory open.  


“As I was saying, we should really check out Mount Hakodate! There’s a gondola and my roommate was telling me the nighttime view is beautiful-”  


“Hikaru?” Kaoru pursed his lips. Not only did his roommate know of him, they didn’t know him properly. He let out a breath and turned to correct his roommate but paused,  


“Kyoya-senpai? Tamaki-senpai?”  


“Oh! Kaoru, it’s you!” Tamaki corrected Kyoya’s previous mistake. A wide smile spread on Tamaki’s face. “Oh, it’s a party now! Where’s Hikaru?” Kaoru stifled a scowl,  


“London.”  


“Forgive me if I recall incorrectly, but weren’t you also headed to London?” Kyoya inquired,  


“I changed my mind,” Kaoru said firmly. Kyoya merely nodded in response, “weren’t you going to attend the University of Tokyo?”  


“I changed my mind,” Kyoya countered. Kaoru sighed inwardly. He’d rather have had a stranger than Kyoya. Sure, they’d been _friends_ in secondary school, but they’d never hung out together without Hikaru and Tamaki as a buffer. On the bright side, Tamaki was there but Hikaru wasn’t and suddenly Kaoru felt alone and small. They had thought he was Hikaru and Kaoru realized he didn’t know who he was without his brother. His throat felt tight again and Kaoru did his best to ignore it.  


“Do you wanna join us in the student center? They’ve got the Fair going on with a smorgasbord of clubs looking for members!” Tamaki said excitedly.  


“No, no, you go ahead.” Kaoru waved them off. Kyoya grabbed a binder from a box on his side of the room and gestured for Tamaki to lead the way. Kyoya cast a look to Kaoru before heading out and closing the door behind him.

Kaoru threw his pillow across the room. He thought attending university would allow him to reinvent himself away from the Host Club and away from his brother. He didn’t want to constantly be mistaken for Hikaru, he didn’t want to constantly be performing a bit with his brother, he didn’t want to be living in the shadow of a mischievous persona. Truthfully, Kaoru wasn’t mischievous. He was just a _really_ good actor. The character he played in the Host Club was just that, a character.  


He dug through a box of things pulling out a picture of himself and Hikaru and setting it on the bedside table with a stack of books. The volumes varied from cook books to interior design to fashion and chemistry. Kaoru left the interior design book on the top of the pile, something he’d been interested in for a while now and casually considered pursuing until he made the agreement to attend school for business and fashion marketing. There were plenty of schools Kaoru could have attended instead of Hokkaido but it seemed like an excellent option to stay in high ranks while not being at the Top. Kaoru wasn’t looking to be the center of attention and Hokkaido was the perfect school to get his parents to talk about him less. They’d boast about Hikaru attending Uni in London at the top ranked school and that’s all they’d care about. Except...Kaoru wanted them to be proud of him too. Not proud of Hikaru _and_ Kaoru. No. He wanted them to be proud of Hikaru _and_ proud of Kaoru.  


Kaoru pulled out his laptop and folded it to it’s tablet form. He set it on his bed as he dug for his stylus and once found Kaoru climbed onto the bed and went to work designing his future home. It was a task he’d been doing a few years now and had various versions of things he liked. Adjusting lighting, shape, decor, color scheme. He couldn’t decide, but he knew his house would look amazing. He didn’t want a big house nor did he want a ton of maids. Something big enough but not too big. A house with a pool and decent sized backyard. Maybe on a lake instead? He wasn’t sure.  


Hours passed before Kyoya returned to the dormitory with an armful of pamphlets  
and several plastic goody bags on his arm from the fair. Kaoru made it a point to keep his head down and continue working on _‘Kaoru’s House 56’_ as it was titled on the file and Kyoya seemed to know well enough to leave him alone. Kaoru was surprised, to say the least, that Tamaki hadn’t followed Kyoya back to the dorm. Though they were best friends, Kaoru figured Kyoya set his boundaries with Tamaki about invading their dorm room and Tamaki knowing how Kyoya was in the mornings gave Kaoru reassurance he wouldn’t randomly be woken up by the blonde screaming in his ear. He was wrong.


	2. Kyoya

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Kyoya learns about Kaoru,

# Kyoya

Kyoya was surprised when he woke in the morning feeling refreshed. He’d tossed and turned and occasionally opened his eyes to see the light of Kaoru’s tablet glowing on the redhead’s face late into the morning confirming Kyoya’s suspicions. Kaoru was struggling. He was surprised to find the redhead hadn’t followed his twin to London being the two were so close, but he was more surprised to find how distant and cold Kaoru acted without Hikaru. Kyoya suspected that it was something to do with him mistakenly calling Kaoru the wrong name. He had thought about apologizing, but Kyoya wasn’t much known for his apologies. He wasn’t even sure how he would go about starting a conversation with Kaoru, much less one that included an apology.

So, when Kyoya woke and glanced over to find the redhead passed out with his tablet on his chest and stylus still in his hand, he snuck over, cautiously grabbed the items, and quietly set them on Kaoru’s bedside table. Kyoya wasn’t one for empathy, but he figured he’d do Kaoru a favor and grab something from the dining hall for him. It was obvious the Hitachiin planned to stay holed up in the dorm unless he was in class and Kyoya really didn’t want to listen to the sounds of a hungry stomach all day when he was supposed to be studying. He changed quickly, glancing to be sure Kaoru hadn’t woken up. Kyoya wasn’t insecure, but he wasn’t a fan of people watching him without his knowledge. He wandered the campus mindfully as he tried to remember the types of food Kaoru liked to eat. He even pulled out his black notebook flipping through the pages until he found Hikaru and Kaoru’s page.

Much to Kyoya’s surprise it was quite barren with only a handful of phrases such as one of them likes green or one of them prefers frozen yogurt to ice cream. Nothing that could presently help Kyoya. He flipped to a blank page and pressed the notebook against a wall as he scribbled Kaoru atop it. Living with Kaoru would prove useful in learning the differences between the twins.

Kyoya decided to order two of what he wanted for breakfast and figured if Kaoru didn’t like it, it wasn’t Kyoya’s problem. He put forth his effort for peace though he wasn’t sure why he felt it needed to be made, but that was beside the point. He quickened his pace to return to his dorm so the food wouldn’t get cold only to find the door slightly ajar and that he could hear Tamaki’s voice coming from the room.  
“Idiot,” Kyoya groaned. 

“Hey! Give that back Tamaki-senpai!” Kaoru snapped. Kyoya pushed the door open to find his blonde friend flipping through a notebook. Tamaki stood a few inches taller than Kaoru and held it out of reach when the redhead tried to snatch it back.  


“Just tell me what it is Kaoru, I’ve never seen it before!”  


“That’s because it’s private!” Kaoru’s cheeks were red and Kyoya could have sworn his eyes were watery.  


“Oh,” Tamaki handed it back and Kaoru grabbed it, his knuckles white from the grip he held on it, and tucked it under his pillow when he seemed sure Tamaki wasn’t going to take it again.  


“Tamaki, what are you doing in our dorm?” Kyoya asked as he set the bag of breakfast on his bed.  


“I was looking for you!” Tamaki answered cheerily. Kyoya nodded,  


“I’m unavailable today. Kaoru invited me to the Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art’s newest exhibit opening. Unfortunately, he only had one extra ticket, but we can do something tomorrow” Kyoya lied to Tamaki.  


“Oh, well that’s alright. Yeah, we could go check out the mountain tomorrow! We only have a week of exploring before classes start!” Tamaki grinned at Kyoya then turned to Kaoru. “Sorry for invading your personal belongings, Kaoru, please forgive me,” dramatically, Tamaki fell to the ground in a low bow. Kaoru’s face contorted in confusion and Kyoya stifled a chuckle.  


“You’re forgiven. Just don’t do it again,” Tamaki jumped up and hugged Kaoru.  


“Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!” He said in swift succession. Kyoya grabbed the back of Tamaki’s shirt and tossed him out of the dorm. “See you tomorrow Kyoya!”  


“Indeed,” Kyoya closed the door and locked it. He heard Kaoru sigh and he thought he heard a sniffle, but Kyoya ignored it. If Kaoru planned to cry, it wasn’t Kyoya’s business to ask him about it. “Here,” Kyoya pulled a few to-go containers with rice, miso soup, and a few other foods. “The kitchen made too much and told me to keep the extras,” he said.

“Thanks…” Kaoru took the food and plopped down on the ground. Kyoya sat across from him and scrolled through the emails on his phone.  


“Kyoya, why did you lie to the Boss?”  


“Lie? About what?” Kyoya took a bite of rice and continued reading an email in regards to the Ootori company buying out one of its competitors.  


“The museum,”  


“I didn’t lie,”  


“But I don’t have tickets to the exhibit,”  


“Silly me, did I say _you_ have the tickets? My mistake.” Kyoya pulled two tickets out of his black notebook and showed them to Kaoru. “I meant I have the tickets. The opening is at 6 tonight and don’t forget to dress your best, not that I’m terribly concerned about that from you, but this is a formal event.” Kyoya glanced at his friend who stared at him in baffled silence.  


“But-”  


“What?” Kyoya asked. He set his phone down and raised a brow at the Hitachiin.  


“Aren’t plus ones for, like, dates?” Kaoru questioned but Kyoya gave a small smile,  


“Yes, technically, but this is a business venture. The Hitachiin's are known for their eye for art and my family is looking to expand their horizons in their mental health clinics adding advanced types of therapy including mediums such as art and music. You’ll be both my advisor and my guinea pig.” Kaoru frowned,  


“Well I don’t want to go!” He argued,  


“Fair enough, but what if I promised to keep Tamaki out of the dorm while you adjust to your surroundings.”  


“What makes you think I need to adjust?!” Kaoru’s voice edged on defensive and his face was red again. Kyoya gave him a pointed look.  


“You refused to join your friends in activities to explore what the University has to offer, you stayed up until- mm- five? Six? On your laptop, it’s nearly noon and you’re still in your pajamas with seemingly no interest in dressing to leave the room. You’re adjusting to life without Hikaru and it’s obviously harder than you anticipated it to be. Do me a favor in accompanying me to this event, and I’ll keep Tamaki off your back until you’re ready to venture out.”  


Kyoya watched as Kaoru pursed his lips. His bronze eyes seemed to be worlds away and Kyoya had the feeling Kaoru was trying to think of some type of excuse as to why he couldn’t, but Kyoya knew better. Kaoru didn’t have an excuse. The, ‘I don’t want to,' was good enough for Kyoya, but he really didn’t feel like attending the exhibit alone and he especially didn’t want to invite Tamaki. His father would have his head if he discovered that one of Kyoya’s familial business ventures included Suoh and Kyoya didn’t much care for the repercussions. Not that he cared if his father was upset or not, but it was easier to avoid the conflict than go to war over it.  


“Fine.” Kaoru settled on. He put his leftovers in his minifridge, stood, and grabbed his shower caddy. Kyoya gave a smile in his success to obtain a ‘date’.  


“Glad you see things my way,” Kaoru threw up a middle finger as he left the dorm room leaving Kyoya alone as he chuckled. He was going to enjoy getting to know the twin as an independent being.  
As 6pm neared, Kyoya paced his dorm room. Kaoru hadn’t returned since leaving for the lavatory and Kyoya firmly believed the twin had skipped out on him. Kyoya looked to his watch, frowning, then to the mirror on the door and quickly adjusted his tie. He donned an english cut black suit with notched lapels. His shirt beneath was a white button down with a classic styled collar. His tie was black to match his suit and tied in a perfect windsor. He quickly cleaned his glasses, stuffed his wallet in his jacket pocket, and headed out the door.  


Kyoya found Kaoru standing on the other side of the door, red faced, and breathing heavily. “Sorry,” Kaoru breathed, “took longer than expected.” It took Kyoya a minute to realize that Kaoru meant his clothes. He wore a black satin ao dai with multicolored embroidery on it.  


“Did you have that made today?” Kyoya asked somewhat surprised,  


“Finished, I had it finished today.” He stood up straight and dusted himself off. “My mother’s fall line consists of a mix of traditional Vietnamise and Japanese fashions intermixing for a modern look. She’s bringing back the male ao dai and made one for Hikaru and I. Originally they had the London cityscape embroidered on them, but when I told her I was attending school in Hokkaido she changed it to the different mountains and landscapes.” Kaoru explained. Upon closer inspection, Kyoya did see the mountains in the cloth. Each color was a different mountain from Asahidake to Hakodate to Miowa and Yotei. The colors stood out against the sheen of the black satin and continually caught the eye, for the longer one looked the more details one could find.  


“It’s impressive. Your mother’s work is impeccable as always. You’ll stand out handsomely among the crowd, now, shall we?” Kyoya gestured for the door to the dorm hall and the two men headed to their car.

The two arrived at the museum a fashionable ten minutes after the exhibit had opened much to Kyoya’s dismay. “Sorry,” Kaoru apologized again, looking at his hands. Kyoya watched as Kaoru fidgeted and picked at his nails. _Anxiety._ He pegged. Kaoru wasn’t used to attending events without Hikaru and it was obvious he was struggling with the concept of it. They had always stayed within arms length of one another or, more often than not, held hands. Kyoya was starting to believe this was due, in part, to Kaoru possibly having anxiety. But he wasn’t a doctor and Kyoya wasn’t about to diagnose the boy, but he kept his hunch and made a mental note to write it down in his notebook.  


“Come along,” Kyoya beckoned his companion as they entered the main hall of the museum where they were greeted by the Curator excitedly.  


“Ah, Ootori-san! You had me worried. I thought, ‘if the Ootori’s do not show, I have truly failed’” Kyoya laughed with the Curator and put his concerns to rest.  


“No, nothing of the sort. My family wouldn’t dare fail to send a representative to your fine exhibit and I’m quite honored to be the one to carry out the task. I heard your glassworks collection has expanded, is this part of the new exhibit?”  


“Oh, no, no, that won’t be ready for quite some time. We’ve expanded our sculpture collection and well, you and your friend here should come see,” Kyoya looked back to Kaoru and nodded for him to follow. The Curator led them back to the exhibit hall where a slew of one percenters mingled with one another over champagne and hors d'oeuvres. The governor’s daughter and a handful of Ootori clients were in attendance causing a slight bit of alarm to Kyoya as he glanced around surveying the room and figuring out how to work each and every person there then he looked to Kaoru.  


“See that woman over there? She’s an up and coming fashion designer. She uses sculptures as inspiration. Your mother could benefit having someone of her ambition in her team. Go talk to her.” With that, Kyoya left him heading from client to client making small talk, pretending to care about irrelevant relatives, forcing a laugh at overstated jokes, and smiling at people he thought beneath him. Occasionally, he’d glance over to see Kaoru still talking to Rei Higurashi and hoped that Kaoru was feeling a bit more confident in himself.  


“Forgive me, Ootori, is that one of the Hitachiin brothers with you?” Yoshida, Sato age 47 owner of a multimillion dollar art supplier. “Indeed, he’s an acquaintance of mine.” Mr. Yoshida gave a cold smile.  


“Of course he is. Surprising to see him without the other one. Almost alien. Which one is that? Hikaru?” Kyoya shook his head,  


“Kaoru, Hikaru is presently off in London following his mother’s footsteps. Kaoru is attending the same university as I.”  


“I suppose someone needs to run the business side of things,” Yoshida grunted. Kyoya forced a smile. 

“Perhaps,” he glanced over to Kaoru again and noticed the redhead trading an empty glass of champagne for a full one. _Oh no._ Kyoya thought, but Kaoru seemed to remain perfectly composed albeit a little wobbly. He didn’t make a scene the way Tamaki or Haninozuka would have or perhaps the way Hikaru might have. Instead, Kaoru handed his card to the designer and made his way over to a sculpture where one of the attending women stopped him and complimented his ao dai. It was obvious Kaoru went on to discuss the design and the women fawned over it. Kyoya was almost certain they were asking to be put in touch with Mrs. Hitachiin for custom orders. 

“Ootori-san?” Kyoya snapped his attention back to the group of men talking with him and continued on the charade of caring. _Kyoya didn’t care._ Not about the business world, at least, but he suspected that’s what made him so good at it. Actions had consequences, but consequences weren’t the end of the world. Business was chess. Maintaining a view of five moves ahead and forethought as to what the competitor may do. Thinking inside the box realistically while preparing for the improbable. It was all a game. An exhausting and excruciatingly boring game, but Kyoya had another--newer game he was playing while tending to the vultures of high society. That game was Kaoru. He’d shown an unpredictability that had startled Kyoya and so he went to work trying to figure the redhead out and just when he thought he had some tangible idea--Kaoru did the opposite.  


As the night drew to an end, Kyoya had to help a very heavily intoxicated Kaoru into the car. Kaoru wasn’t fidgeting and he seemed...freer. He contemplated asking about the designer, but Kaoru beat him to it.  


“We exchanged cards. I told her she should call my mother’s assistant and set up a viewing of her portfolio,” his words slurred somewhat, but having as much champagne as he had Kaoru was surprisingly understandable.  


“That’s good. Very good. Your mother wouldn’t want her signed on to an opposing company. I know Hara and a few others were looking at recruiting her as part of their teams.” Kaoru shrugged,  


“Honestly? I don’t _care_ ,” Kyoya raised his brows, “I don’t care if she joins my mother’s company or another. It’s not _my_ company and it would never just _be_ my company. It would be Hikaru and Kaoru’s. Hikaru would always- _always_ be first.” And there it was. “I want something that’s mine. Something neither my mother, my father, nor my brother can touch. Something that’s _mine_ that no one would ever confuse for belonging to Hikaru.” Kaoru looked to Kyoya and, for a mere moment, Kyoya cared about something. Kaoru’s eyes were filled with a torrent of emotions. Confusion, anger, sadness, guilt, frustration. They circled his expression and Kyoya could relate. He could relate more than anything. He wanted something that was his. Something that proved his worth and- _yes,_ he’d bought his father’s company out from under his nose and gifted it right back to him, but that hadn’t been enough. It had earned him a few weeks of respect then it went right back to his father comparing him to his elder brothers.  


“Is that too much to ask?” Kaoru questioned. The guilt. Kaoru felt guilty for wanting something for himself.  


“Not at all,” Kyoya said calmly though his heart was racing. He had the urge to shift in his seat, to fidget, to _run._ He had never felt like this. This- anxiety. Why was he anxious?  
Kaoru nodded and looked out the window, but Kyoya wanted to know more.  


“Is that why you’re attending Hokkaido instead of London?” Kaoru nodded,  


“Hikaru’s still upset with me, but… I didn’t want him to follow me, so I waited to tell him until it was too late for him to register.” Kyoya’s eyes went wide and he was thankful for Kaoru being so intoxicated. He didn’t want the Hitachiin to see the shift of his expressions. He wasn’t sure he could handle someone thinking he cared. Kyoya made a silent promise to help Kaoru find something that was his and his alone that night.


	3. Kaoru

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Kaoru makes friends,

# Kaoru

Kaoru woke the next morning with an excruciating headache. He thanked the gods that classes had yet to start and that it was still night- or  
He looked to the clock on his phone, his brightness having been on high causing him to flinch and frantically change it to low. His retinas burned as he read the time. It was 11:30am and still dark. Kaoru rolled to his side to see Kyoya on the other side of the room, laptop in his lap, earbuds in his ears, and completely zoned into whatever was on the screen.  
Kaoru sat up and Kyoya pressed pause on whatever he’d been watching. “You’re awake,”  


“Nnnnngh,” Kaoru groaned,  


“I put some black out curtains up. I thought it would help with...this.” Kyoya gestured to Kaoru holding his head between his knees. “How many glasses did you drink?”  
Kaoru tried to count, but the thoughts swirled in his head and funneled down directly to his stomach causing him to groan in pain. 

“All of them,” he decided on. He heard what sounded like a chuckle and looked to Kyoya. “Did you just laugh at me?”  


“No,” but the smile on Kyoya’s face told Kaoru he was lying,  


“I’m in physical pain and you’re laughing at me Kyoya-senpai!”  


“You did this to yourself, Kaoru,” Kyoya reminded him. Kaoru groaned again. This time Kyoya got off his bed and grabbed a bottle of water from his minifridge. He opened it and handed it to Kaoru. “Drink up. I’ll get you something light to eat so you can take something for the headache. Try to go back to sleep, alright?” Kaoru blinked as he took the water. He’d never heard of Kyoya doing anything to take care of anyone much less anyone who’d caused themselves trouble.  


“Why are you helping me?” Kaoru asked,  


“I’m not helping you. I’m helping me. The faster your hangover passes the less I have to hear you wine,” Kaoru wanted to argue but the urge to spill everything in his stomach silenced him and he covered his mouth. “I’ll bring a bucket too,” Kyoya left quickly and Kaoru laid back then rolled to his side. He grabbed his phone and skimmed the notifications. One of them was a text from his mother thanking him for referring Rei to her and another was a picture of Haruhi and Hani in Tokyo. He sent a few emoji’s expressing his reaction including a banana for the sake of the inside joke then shut his phone. Kaoru rested his arm over his eyes and tried to fall back asleep when curiosity overwhelmed him. What was Kyoya watching? He peeled his arm from his face and glanced at Kyoya's bed. The laptop was sitting open.  


Kaoru forced himself up and swiftly made his way across the room, collapsing onto Kyoya’s bed, and pulled the laptop to him. Open on the screen was the Korean drama ‘Cinderella and Four Knights’. Kaoru lost it. He rolled over laughing, hysterical. Hikaru would love this, he thought. His laughter died down as he realized Hikaru still hadn’t responded to his texts and calls. Kaoru sat up and made his way back over to his bed. Well, if Hikaru didn’t respond to him then Kaoru wasn’t obligated to reveal Kyoya’s secret. He smiled. He never pegged Kyoya for a fan of drama much less romance and he especially hadn’t assumed romance was something Kyoya was interested in. He’d always assumed Kyoya would marry for politics, but that in itself made Kaoru realize that even Kyoya with his blank expression and cool attitude had desires. Perhaps he even had the desire to love and be loved.  


Kyoya returned a short while later with snacks and a bucket and set them near Kaoru’s bed. He closed his laptop and plugged it in then bid Kaoru farewell as he went out. When Kyoya opened the door, Kaoru could see Tamaki standing on the other side waiting and the memory of Kyoya promising to spend the day with Tamaki hit. Kaoru didn’t want to be alone especially when he felt like death but it wasn’t like Kyoya would have any interest in hanging around with him all day anyhow. Kaoru decided to roll over and go back to sleep and it wasn’t long before he was out cold.

Kaoru woke nearly four hours later. His headache was gone and his stomach had calmed. He still felt sluggish and shaky, but he could eat and he could stand. Kaoru looked at the snacks Kyoya had brought him and decided to save them for later. He was ravenous and knew they wouldn’t cut it.  
He carefully dressed himself, grabbed his keys and wallet, and headed out of the dorm to see what the campus dining hall had to offer. He decided to take his time wandering the halls since he’d yet to do so and found that it was quiet. For the number of students in attendance, the campus was surprisingly calm which Kaoru was grateful for. Eventually, he made his way toward the dining hall but ended up following the scent of grinding coffee beans to the campus coffee shop a short distance off from the hall. He peaked in to find it mostly deserted and took it upon himself to caffeinate into oblivion. One thing that was similar with Kaoru and his brother was their addiction to coffee. Kaoru had a habit of staying up incredibly late into and past the witching hours of the eve. He often was reading some story on his laptop or designing a new blueprint or interior for his dream home. Kaoru’s sense of time was like Tamaki’s sense of direction. Nonexistent. One minute it would be nine at night and the next thing Kaoru knew it was six in the morning. This was a habit he’d tried to kick a few times, usually with the help of Hikaru, but it was evident to him college wasn’t going to be the place he’d succeed in kicking the habit.  


He stood in line surveying the pastry counter and glancing up to the menu overhead. He figured a sandwich would do him well and probably the most caffeinated drink on the menu or maybe an iced coffee? The cashier waved him over and he fidgeted a bit to find his wallet in his pockets.  


“What can I do’ya for?” The girl asked somewhat lazily. Her eyes held a dead expression and Kaoru could only assume she’d worked there for sometime.  


“Ah, mm, I’ll take the spinach and feta on ciabatta and…” his eyes darted between an iced coffee and a hot coffee. “A large coffee,” he settled on letting the barista decide for him,  


“Iced or Hot?”  


“Surprise me?” She glanced from the screen back to Kaoru and rolled her eyes.  


“Iced or death,” she told him and Kaoru gave a startled look. A smile tugged at her lips as she handed him back his credit card. “That’ll be out shortly, what’s the name for the order?”  


“Oh, ah, Kaoru,”  


“Nice to meet you, Kaoru,” Kaoru gave a forced smile which he sure was less than charming before heading for one of the tables and pulling out his phone to browse various social media apps. He didn’t hear when the barista called his name as he was so zoned in on a story involving his mother’s company that when the cashier set his order in front of him he jumped.  


“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. I’m Mai by the way,” she pulled the chair across from him out and plopped down in it. “You’re a first year, right?” Kaoru closed down the story on his phone and tucked the device into one of his varying pockets,  


“Yeah,”  


“What’s your major?” Mai was looking over her nails as she asked trying to seem nonchalant,  


“Business and marketing,” She wrinkled her nose.  


“Really? You...sorry, but you don’t strike me as a business major,” she said gesturing to his spiky hair and pierced ears.  


“Well, it’s not my first choice, but it makes my family happy,” Kaoru took a sip from the iced coffee and made a face. Mai snatched his coffee out of his hand and headed back behind the counter. She came back a minute later and the drink was a lighter shade of brown than before.  


“Try now,” Kaoru took another sip and nodded  


“It’s a completely different drink,”  


“Good different?”  


“Great different,” Kaoru reassured her,  


“Well, no matter how long you’re a business major for, the art club is open for all students. Here,” she handed him a water color splashed pamphlet and in loopy calligraphy read ‘HokkaidoU Art Society’.  


“Hey, thanks, I’ll think about it,” Mai nodded,  


“See you around BusinessMan,” and with that she left. Kaoru was certain she and the other baristas were discussing him from the giggles and glances thrown his way, but Kaoru didn’t have the energy to care. He ate his sandwich and flipped through the pamphlet. It had dates for a variety of different classes including different types of painting classes such as oil, acrylic, tempera, and watercolor along with a few others. The dates started next week and extended throughout the term. He stuffed the pamphlet in his pocket, he may not attend, but Kaoru was aware Kyoya had dabbled in painting and the like and perhaps he’d be interested.

Kaoru wandered the campus a bit longer until he’d had his fill of existing and by that time it was nearing six. He opened his dorm room to find Kyoya on his bed watching, what Kaoru assumed to be, the Korean drama. Kyoya paused his show and looked over to Kaoru. His face was blank, but Kaoru could have sworn he’d looked upset for a moment.  


“Here,” Kaoru pulled the pamphlet out of his pocket and passed it to Kyoya who looked it over. He didn’t say anything in regards to the pamphlet, only slipped it into his black notebook which Kaoru assumed meant he was interested.  


“Where’ve you been?” Kyoya finally asked as Kaoru hopped onto his own bed.  


“Went to get food, ended up at the coffee shop,”  


“Ah,”  


“How was the mountain?” Kyoya was silent for a while seeming to try and find the words he thought best described the experience.  


“Average,” he’d settled on. Kaoru smiled and shook his head, “you must be feeling better,” Kyoya noted.  


“What makes you say that?” Kaoru pulled out his laptop and set it up to watch a movie,  


“You smiled, you hadn’t smiled once in the past two days.” Kaoru’s face grew hot from embarrassment. It annoyed him how Kyoya read him like an open book. They’d been acquaintances since high school, but they’d never been close enough for Kyoya to be able to read him that easily. Only Hikaru and Haruhi had ever known Kaoru and even then they only knew Kaoru as half of a whole. Sure, Haruhi could spot their differences and made it a point to always know which brother was which, but she still only knew him with Hikaru.  


“Maybe I am feeling better,” Kaoru said somewhat indignantly.  


“Good,”  


“Good?”  


“It means I don’t have to listen to your crying,”  


“I HAVEN’T BEEN CRYING!” Kyoya was looking at Kaoru from over top his glasses causing Kaoru to clench his fists. He grabbed his pillow and launched it at the dark eyed man.  


“Wha-” Kaoru grabbed another one and launched that one as well. Both pillows hit Kyoya in the face knocking his glasses askew. Kaoru’s eyes widened as he’d realized what he’d done. He had _challenged_ Kyoya. Kyoya calmly removed and folded his glasses and set them aside. He shut his laptop and stowed it in the drawer of the bedside table then turned his gaze on Kaoru. Kaoru swallowed a lump of genuine terror in his throat.  


“That’s it.” Kyoya grabbed the pillows he’d been assaulted with and attacked Kaoru with them. He had one in each hand and went about Kaoru with full force and speed. Kaoru managed to shut his laptop and curled into a ball covering his head. At some point he managed to grab hold of one of the pillows and free it from Kyoya’s grasp and decided to return the onslaught. The two battled with pillows in hand, one grasped at the corner as the attacking weapon while the other held in the middle as the shield. Blows were met with the shields and return blows were initiated. The winner was ultimately decided by who had the most stamina which, _surprisingly_ , was Kaoru. Kyoya had collapsed on Kaoru’s bed in defeat and Kaoru, grinning triumphantly, sat down next to him.  


“Wanna watch a show with me?” Kaoru asked looking to the man next to him,  


“Depends,”  


“Okay, well, I don’t know how interested in dramas you are but I found this Korean drama I thought might be interesting to watch. Looks like a reverse harem too,” Kaoru pulled Cinderella and Four Knights up on his laptop and watched for any sort of reaction from Kyoya, but the Ootori remained stone faced aside from the red in his cheeks from the exertion of the pillow fight.  


“If you insist,” Kyoya finally said, causing Kaoru to smile at him. _Got him._  
Kaoru grabbed the pillows they’d tossed aside and made himself comfy next to Kyoya as he started the first episode. Ha-Won, the main female protagonist, reminded Kaoru a lot of Haruhi as they watched the show and he thought of her having a good time in Tokyo with Hani-senpai and Mori-senpai. Towards the end of the episode music started playing and it took everything in Kaoru not to laugh. Kyoya watched this show? Actively? Kaoru stifled the laughter, not wanting to offend his...acquaintance? No, he and Kyoya were friends. They’d always been some variant of friends, Kaoru decided, but now it was a friendship based on Kaoru and Kyoya. Not Hikaru _and_ Kaoru and Kyoya. The dynamic had shifted and it felt nice. It was comforting and new and somewhat exciting. They’d become _friends._


	4. Kyoya

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Kyoya is confronted by emotions,

# Kyoya

Kyoya woke up _roasting_. It felt as though the sun fell from the sky to grace him with it’s burning touch and crush him where he lie, but it wasn’t the sun that had set him on fire. It was Kaoru. Kaoru who was _lying on top of him._ Kyoya’s body temperature rose higher as his face warmed. Thank goodness the redhead was unconscious, Kyoya didn’t want to have to fake a cold to explain his flushed face. He thought about the night prior and how they’d been watching Cinderella and Four Knights and at some point Kyoya fell asleep. He’d been comfortable in Kaoru’s bed and frankly too tired to care to move after their pillow fight. Kaoru could have slept in Kyoya’s bed but they were cuddled up together and perhaps Kaoru hadn’t slept in Kyoya’s bed to avoid waking him up. _Yeah,_ that was probably it. He did tend to have a bad temper upon being woken up which would explain the redhead asleep on top of him. Kaoru’s head was nestled into Kyoya’s shoulder and Kyoya realized that this was probably the best sleep Kaoru had had since he and Hikaru had moved away from one another.  


It also occurred to Kyoya that maybe, just maybe, Kaoru chose not to move, not because he couldn’t, but because he didn’t want to. Kyoya smiled. He wasn’t sure why it made him happy to see Kaoru becoming more comfortable and adjusting to his new life, but it did. Kyoya liked the feeling of being happy though he did his best to stifle all emotions. Business didn’t believe in emotions. Business was logic and statistics and predictability and emotions were none of those things but there was nothing he needed to be business about at that moment. So, reluctantly, Kyoya let the heat thaw the wall of ice and basked in the sun that rested soundly upon him.  


Kaoru stirred. Suddenly, the wall was rebuilt and Kyoya forced his smile away. He closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep as to let Kaoru ‘sneak’ away. He didn’t though, not right away, Kaoru yawned and Kyoya felt his muscles tense as he stretched and then Kaoru just...stayed there. It took everything in him for Kyoya to keep his eyes shut and just when he was ready to give up and ‘wake up’ Kaoru moved. Kyoya listened to him shuffling around and the sound of the door opening and closing before he finally opened his eyes and sat up. Kyoya stood and looked himself over in the mirror. His face was red as he’d assumed, his hair was a mess, and he looked exhausted. A shower. Yes. A shower. Kyoya grabbed his shower caddy, a towel, a change of clothes, and headed for the showers.  


Kyoya was hardly a fan of the concept of communal showers let alone using one but when in University do as the University students do, right? It wasn’t like he had much for alternative options. The University preferred their first years to live on campus whether in the dorms or one of the apartments and, unfortunately, Kyoya had been too late in choosing his University so he had to settle for the dorms. Not that he was entirely upset about it now...  


He walked down to the far end of the shower stalls and pulled open one of the curtains. Placing his dry things aside, he turned on the faucet and contemplated his agenda for the day. Realizing he had absolutely nothing planned, he started thinking of alternative things to do. He could...hmm. What could he do? He thought of the pamphlet Kaoru had handed him the day prior and settled for checking out the art studios. He had considered majoring in something aside from business and art had been on that list of options but it was such a broad term. Art. Kyoya hadn’t been and still wasn’t sure if he was interested in art education, therapy, or trying to have his paintings on the walls of the homes of the 1% his parents associated with internationally. So, he’d settled on business to keep his father off his back and his brother’s from talking ill of him. His sister would support him. She _always_ supported him, but would she support him if she knew…  


Kyoya extinguished the thought that rose in the back of his mind and finished his shower quickly. He dressed and realized he’d left his notebook back in his room. He still hadn’t updated it with Kaoru’s information and deemed it an acceptable time to do so figuring the longer he waited the less he’d remember and Kyoya didn’t want to forget the small things. Small details were his super power and the notebook held them all. Each page held notes on people who had proven most relevant to his life so he knew exactly how to gain their favor or, alternatively, destroy everything they had. No one aside from Kyoya actually knew what was in the notebook and he liked it that way. He didn’t need neither clients, business associates, nor friends to know what was in it. 

“Oh hey!” Kaoru greeted Kyoya when he entered their room. Kyoya almost smiled at him. _Almost._ Instead he nodded and did his best to build the wall higher. _I don’t care,_ he reminded himself. Except Kaoru wasn’t business and business was the only thing he truly didn’t care about so was it entirely wrong to care about Kaoru? They were friends. Friends care about friends. _Not like this,_ he thought. Kyoya shook the thought from his mind. He wasn’t. He didn’t. He refused. He’d be eaten alive if someone caught wind of such a thing.  


“Any plans today?” Kyoya asked Kaoru as he pulled the pamphlet out of the notebook. Kaoru held up his laptop. “I see. Well, I was going to inspect the art studio. You’re welcome to join me if you’d like,” He said as nonchalantly as he could manage. Kaoru closed his laptop and set it aside.  


“Sure! Maybe Mai will be there,” Mai? Who was Mai? Had Kaoru made a friend?  


“She gave you the pamphlet,” Kyoya stated  


“Yeah! She’s a barista at the coffee shop. I got a job there too,”  


“A job? Why would you want a job at a coffee shop? You’re aware you don’t need one, correct?” Confusion ran rampant in Kyoya’s mind as he tried to figure out why Kaoru would want to work and attend University. If Kaoru’s parents were anything like Kyoya’s, and they had their similarities, then his tuition was entirely covered.  


“I figured it would get me out and meeting people without having to seek them out, ya know? You were right, I am struggling to adjust without Hikaru and I think it’s better to get up and do something about it than sit around and mope. I did that, I’m over it--kind of, but I want to figure out who I am as Kaoru. Not Hikaru _and_ Kaoru, ya know?” Kaoru’s eyes sparkled with excitement as he talked about starting training in the next week and how Mai had told him a caramel macchiato didn’t use caramel syrup at all and several other things Kyoya thought to be rather unimportant but he decided to remember the details because they were important to Kaoru and, for some unfathomable reason, if they were important to Kaoru they were important to Kyoya.

Kyoya and Kaoru made their way to the opposite end of campus where the art studio was. A few students were milling around stretching canvases, mixing paints, and working on sketches. A girl with a septum piercing and dark hair walked up to them,  
“Hey BusinessMan,” she said to Kaoru,  


“Mai, hey! This is my friend Kyoya,” Kaoru nodded to Kyoya and Kyoya extended his hand to Mai. She held up her hands showing off damp blue and green hues influencing Kyoya to drop his.  


“You’re a painter then,” Kyoya said acknowledging her hands,  


“Sure am,” she wiped her hands on her smock and returned her attention to Kaoru which bothered Kyoya somewhat. “You gonna join our club then?”  


“Nah, probably not, I’m not really artsy, but Kyoya is,” Mai returned her gaze to Kyoya seeming to size him up though he was easily half a foot taller than her. Kyoya wasn’t an unlikable person but he also wasn’t personable when he didn’t have to be. He decided to ignore her antics though they bothered him.  


“You’re an artist?” She raised a brow at him and Kyoya clenched his fists.  


“No, I’m a hobbyist. Art is a hobby of mine,” Mai nodded as if to say ‘yeah, that makes more sense,’ infuriating Kyoya all that much more.  


“Well, take your time. None of the classes start for a few days yet but if you pay your membership fee you can use the supplies as you want,” Mai smiled at Kaoru then walked back over to her painting,  


“You’re friends with her?” Kyoya asked as soon as Mai was out of earshot,  


“No, not yet at least. I’ve only talked to her a handful of times,” Kaoru told him. Kyoya glanced over at Mai to find her watching them. When she noticed Kyoya looking at her, she immediately returned her attention to her work. She didn’t strike him as the type of girl to fawn over handsome young men like the girls in secondary school had but perhaps he was wrong.  


“So, you gonna join the art club?” Kaoru was standing in, what Kyoya used to consider, his bubble. Their arms nearly brushed and Koaru’s face was closer to his own than he knew he was comfortable with. Usually, Kyoya would verbally abuse or possibly even physically remove someone so close to him, but Kaoru’s presence didn’t irritate him the same way Tamaki’s did when he moved in too close. It hadn’t occurred to him he’d been looking everywhere but Kaoru’s eyes until he finally gazed into them. There was a good reason he’d been avoiding looking Kaoru in the eyes and it had everything to do with palpitations in Kyoya’s heart.  


“Ye-yes,” Kyoya stumbled over his words which was embarrassing in itself as stumbling over words was something Kyoya never did. His vernacular was of the highest caliber and he never spoke too fast or too slow as to avoid tripping over his words but here he was, in front of Kaoru Hitachiin, heart racing and words malfunctioning and Kyoya reminded himself that he couldn’t feel this way. It wasn’t the Ootori way… but maybe if he kept it between himself and his black notebook then maybe it could be Kyoya’s way.  


Kaoru’s phone started buzzing and the redhead pulled it out of his pocket. **Hikaru** the screen read. Kaoru tensed but answered the call, walking away from Kyoya. He watched Kaoru intently for signs of distress but the overarching problem was that he was a five foot ten ball of nerves. His posture changed, his voice was different, and he was pacing. Kyoya sighed and glanced to where Mai had been only to find her standing in front of him. He jumped.  


“So are you two like… an item?” Mai asked as she nodded her head at Kaoru.  


“I beg your pardon?”  


“You heard me,” she fiddled with her septum ring as she watched Kyoya. Her eyes narrowed and it felt to Kyoya like she was trying to find a crack in the metaphorical wall he had. Find the crack, peer through it, and discover everything he was presently trying to bury but Mai didn’t need to find the crack at all because she’d created it herself by asking a simple question with a simple answer. Kyoya’s words didn’t work though. His brain reminded him that, no, we’re not, but he wished he could say, yes, we are but even if Kyoya could realistically say it there would be repercussions on his end.  


“Why do you ask?” Kyoya managed,  


“Mmm, so no. Do you want to be?” to say Kyoya was flabbergasted by the girl was an understatement. He’d known her all of five minutes and she had the audacity to make assumptions not only about his sexuality but his relationship with his roommate who and even if she had hit the nail on the head it was still incredibly rude. He harbored exactly zero romantic interest towards his roommate, or at least, that’s what Kyoya told himself.  


“What would make you think-”  


“I call it as I see it. You two look compatible and it’s obvious you have something going on there in regards to Kaoru. If ever you want my help, don’t be afraid to ask,” she handed him a business card with her name and number on it along with her instagram and website to purchase her pieces.  


As Kaoru returned, Mai disappeared again. The cheerfulness Kaoru had had that morning was replaced by a somber feeling that made Kyoya’s skin crawl.  
“My mom wants me and Hikaru to model in the upcoming fashion show for her fall collection this Saturday. Together. Like we always do.” It took Kyoya a minute to realize why it bummed Kaoru out so much. She was going to dress them identically, perhaps in different tones but their garments would be the same, and they would walk down the runway together. Like they did for all of Mrs. Hitachiin’s runway shows, their individuality would be stripped and Kaoru and Hikaru would become one and the same. Not two separate people, but two halves of a whole.  


“Maybe one of you could walk at the beginning and one of you could walk at the end?” Kyoya suggested and Kaoru shook his head no,  


“Unfortunately not, our pieces are the opening numbers. The last person walking is the star of the show, the _pièce de résistance_ , and putting one of us at the end would ruin the cohesion of the ensambles.” Kyoya didn’t know much about fashion but he did know that the situation sounded annoying,  


“Decline?” he offered,  


“Kyoya! I’m trying to separate myself from my brother-not be disowned by my entire family! Are you aware of the words my father would say? I’m not, but I have an idea.” Kaoru’s face was paler than usual as he thought of the repercussions. “I can’t just say no.”  


“Well, would it help if you had someone there who could pick you out from Hikaru?” Kyoya asked, thinking of Haruhi immediately. If the fashion show was in Tokyo, then there was no reason she couldn’t come.  


“I...yeah,” Kaoru settled on, “I would feel a little better,” Kyoya pulled out his phone and dialed Haruhi,  


“Haruhi? Yeah, hey, I’ve been invited to a fashion show in Tokyo next Saturday and I was wondering if you’d attend it with me. Mhm, no there’s no catch, great. I’ll have a staff member over sometime this week to measure you and get a dress for the occasion,” He hung up before Haruhi could protest and looked to Kaoru. “You’ll have two people who can pick you out of the pair now,” though Kyoya wasn’t entirely confident he could pick Kaoru out but he knew he’d try and if he wasn’t sure, Haruhi would know.


	5. Kaoru

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Kaoru and Hikaru form an understanding,

# Kaoru

The week seemed to fly by and everyday was more dread filled than the last as the fashion show approached, but as Kaoru’s anxiety increased so did Kyoya’s presence. Tamaki would stop by their dorm and invite them out to do _things_ , but Kyoya found valid excuses to turn him down without hurting the blonde’s feelings. The roommates then proceeded to spend their time binge watching Korean dramas and eating food from the dining hall.  
The pattern only ceased when Kaoru went to work which he then spent his time with Mai making caffeinated abominations that hurt his stomach. One shift he spent most of the time lying on the tile floor behind the bar and clutching his stomach because of how much sugar had assaulted it and sent him to the sugary hell of stomach rot. But even with the distractions of work and curling up with Kyoya in their dorm, Hikaru was still on his mind. What was he supposed to say when he saw him? ‘Hey bro, sorry for wanting to be my own person, but this is my last fashion show.’ _No._ He’d talked to his mother about wanting to take a break from future fashion shows as he wanted to focus on his studies... _for Hikaru’s sake_. At first, she was hesitant, but as soon as Kaoru made it sound like he was studying so hard for the future company he and Hikaru were going to allegedly build together she was on board.

Kaoru sat in front of a mirror, eyes closed, with a makeup artist applying blue liner to his eyelids when he heard Hikaru’s voice from behind him.  
“Mind giving us a second?” his brother asked.  


“Let me finish this wing and he’s all yours,” the artist told him. Seconds that felt like an eternity passed before the makeup artist scurried away. Kaoru opened his eyes to see Hikaru in the mirror, decked out in oranges, with his arms crossed. He walked over to lean against the counter and look at Kaoru.  


“I-,” Hikaru held up his hand to silence Kaoru who obliged.  


“Me first,” Hikaru let out a breath, “I’m… sorry.” Kaoru’s eyes widened, nearly popping out of his skull from shock.  


“What?” he asked,  


“I’m sorry, okay? You have every right to attend University where you want and… I guess. We’ve always been a pair, the two of us, so I assumed that’s how it was always going to be and I was comfortable with that and the fact you felt you had to hide wanting to do something else? _It hurt,_ Kaoru. You’re my best friend,” Kaoru’s worries melted away as Hikaru expressed his feelings. He had known Hikaru had grown emotionally over the course of secondary school, but he hadn’t realized just how much until now.  


“I’m sorry too, Hikaru. I… I’m always confused for you and I wanted something for me and I thought you would be angry at me so I hid it from you… can you forgive me?”  


“Only if you’ll forgive me,” Hikaru said sternly and Kaoru smiled.  


“Of course,” Hikaru smiled back at him and Kaoru stood up to hug his brother, “go, go,” he shooed Hikaru away afterwards to finish dressing. Kaoru watched him go and realized, in that moment, that even if no one else saw him for himself that Hikaru always had and always would.  


“Master Kaoru! This way, hurry!” A stylist beckoned him to her and he ran off into the fray of the show.

The lights on the runway had dimmed slowly then as a loud crash sounded the stage went black. The Twins took their place at the stage end of the runway and, when another crash sounded and the lights returned, they lifted their heads and walked down the runway with arms intertwined. Kaoru stared down the audience, a stern look on his face so as to not distract from the ensemble, and his eyes settled on Kyoya and Haruhi. She was stunning, Haruhi. Her dress was a beautiful black and gold and her hair, now chin length, was pulled back with gold clips. Kyoya’s tie matched the gold of her dress while the rest of his suit was black causing his pale skin to practically glow under the lights.  
Kaoru’s heart raced. Not from the adrenaline of the show,or the comfort of knowing he and his brother were speaking again, but from seeing Haruhi on Kyoya’s arm. She looked beautiful with him, perfect even. For a moment, the line Kaoru had sworn he wouldn’t cross was obscured and he envied Haruhi. He wanted to be the one on Kyoya’s arm, but he was on Hikaru’s arm walking down the runway. So, Kaoru made the choice to be the center of attention even with Hikaru next to him. He wouldn’t be drowned out by being an identical twin. Kaoru could tell Hikaru understood what he was thinking… even if he didn’t know why. Their posture changed, their steps more purposeful, and Kaoru felt powerful. His only downfall was waiting until halfway down the runway to make the change to his demeanor, but he had two more costume changes which meant there was time to earn all eyes on him. Even if all eyes weren’t on him, so long as one set of dark eyes in particular were, he would be happy.

“What do you mean it’s _missing?!_ ” Mrs. Hitachiin was backstage, an unusual place for the designer to be when a show started, but it was because one of the twins’s costumes had gone missing. “That’s their final look, it sets the stage for the end of the show! Where is it?!”  


“Only half of the costume is missing, we could still send one of them out and the cohesion wouldn’t be off-” the stage manager offered, but it was obvious Mrs. Hitachiin wasn’t having it,  


“I think that’s a better idea than any,” Hikaru said. The brother’s had been changing nearby before the next walk and overheard it all. Kaoru nodded. Hikaru could walk the show and make it something worthwhile, but Hikaru seemed to be thinking the opposite. “Have Kaoru walk it,”  


_“What?”_ Mrs. Hitachiin asked, but before she could argue the twins were rushed back onto the runway for their second walk. This time their arms weren’t linked and rather than walking down the middle of the runway the brothers stepped out onto the side walkways. A woman's look strutted down the middle and the three models met together at the end of the runway, gave a few poses, then turned and walked down the center arm in arm. Kaoru didn’t have time to search out Kyoya during that walk, he was more focused on tripping over the pant and heels combination he’d been put in. It was obvious both he, Hikaru, and the lady model were all struggling with the look, but somehow they’d all made it backstage without any broken limbs.  


“Are you sure?” Kaoru asked as he stripped out of his outfit, tossing the heels aside which landed with loud thuds,  


“Yes. If anyone should represent us, it’s you. Besides, designers shouldn’t walk the runway,” Hikaru said somewhat smuggly,  


“Wait, Hikaru? Is this your design,” Hikaru grinned at his brother and helped lace up the back of Kaoru’s corset-vest piece.  


“ _Our design._ Go out there and be seen, Kaoru,” Kaoru was pushed towards the stage and stopped, waiting for his musical cue. He glanced back at his brother mouthing a ‘thank you,’ before stepping onto the runway. He posed twice then proceeded to strut down the center of the runway. Two female models strutted on the side walkways to meet him at the center end. The three of them paused at the respective middle of their walkways causing the illusion that Kaoru was further forward than the two women.  


He chanced glancing at the audience and found Haruhi whispering into Kyoya’s ear. Kyoya looked to her and said something in return. Kaoru shifted his gaze to the other side of the audience then straight ahead to make it seem intentional. He paused at the end of the runway and posed with the two women who draped themselves over him sensually then the three of them turned and walked back down the runway.  


The makeup artists went to work fixing Kaoru’s makeup when he returned backstage. As the last model walked, Mrs. Hitachiin stepped onto stage. Kaoru could faintly hear her talking about the line, primarily the first two walks. The models began walking out in reverse order, the pièce de résistance stepping out first and the two women who’d walked with Kaoru taking up the rear. Hikaru grabbed Kaoru’s hand and told him to wait. Kaoru turned to protest, but stopped. His brother’s makeup was completely cleaned away and replaced with a layer of foundation, glitter, and lipgloss. His ensemble had been replaced with a black glitter coated three-piece-suit and matte black shoes.  


“And now, I’d like to introduce my son’s, this show was as much to show off our fall collection at Hitachiin Textiles as well as to advertise the debut collection of the Hitachiin Twins,” Hikaru led Kaoru out onto the runway and the models made room for them to stand beside their mother. Mrs. Hitachiin handed the microphone to Hikaru who took it happily,  


“Ah, Hello,” he spoke somewhat awkwardly, “My name is Hikaru and the lovely model at my side is my twin brother, Kaoru. We spent most of our final year of secondary school coming up with ten of the looks you saw today. It wasn’t easy, but it’s something I can say, without a shadow of a doubt, that I am proud of. We’re not just the sons of Yuzuha Hitachiin, nor are we just the Hitachiin Twins, but I’m Hikaru and this is Kaoru and this line was inspired to showcase not only the similarities, but the differences between us. Thank you,” Hikaru offered the microphone to Kaoru and he merely managed a ‘thank you,’ before returning it to Mrs. Hitachiin.  


Through all the chaos of the show and his desire to get Kyoya to see him, Kaoru hadn’t recognized the designs. His designs. Even as Hikaru had laced Kaoru up in his own design, it hadn’t dawned on him. He was so focused on himself that he hadn’t seen what Hikaru had done and better yet, Hikaru individualized him. He separated them from each other and told the fashion world that they weren’t Hikaru and Kaoru but that there’s Hikaru _and_ there’s Kaoru. Two separate people even if the mirror told them they were identical, Hikaru made sure everyone knew they weren’t and for that, Kaoru was crying.  


When they got back stage, he hugged his brother. “You hid it on purpose!” he accused for which Hikaru didn’t deny, but his silence was all the confirmation Kaoru needed. “Thank you, thank you so much, Hikaru,” he pulled away from his brother who was also crying. “They look great, I’m sorry I didn’t recognize them,” Kaoru wiped away Hikaru’s tears and then his own and the two laughed at their dramatics.  


“Get changed, we had an after party to attend,”  


Kaoru had changed into a gold glitter coated three piece suit with matching matte black shoes, his face makeup had been removed and replaced with a layer of foundation, and his hair...well… it still had glitter. That wouldn’t be removed until he made his way to a shower, but he didn’t mind it too much. He stood out and he was happy about it.  
The other models escorted Kaoru into the room holding the after party where the attendees of the fashion show were already casually intoxicated, including Kyoya. Haruhi slowly sipped her champagne to avoid making a fool of herself, but Kyoya seemed to have had more than a casual amount of alcohol. He was stumbling around and slurring his words and when Kaoru walked over to them, Haruhi looked relieved.  


“Now that you’re here, you get babysitting duty,” and Haruhi pushed Kyoya towards Kaoru. Kyoya stumbled, tripped, and fell into Kaoru who just managed to catch him.  


“Kyoya-senpai, how much did you drink?” Kaoru asked as he helped him upright,  


“All of it,” Kyoya answered as he tried to straighten himself up. It was obvious Kyoya was trying to still look like a presentable Ootori representative, but the alcohol burned into his pink cheeks and he seemed to be....emotional. His stoic nature was replaced with uncharacteristic giggles and...whispering?  
Kyoya leaned into Kaoru, unable to keep himself upright, and whispered in his ear, “you look beautiful,” the statement caught the redhead so off guard, he almost dropped the Ootori.  


“You shouldn’t say things like that, someone might think you’re hitting on them,” Kyoya gave a cheesy smile as if to say, ‘but I am,’ and Kaoru’s face burned. He was too sober for a drunk Kyoya to be hitting on him, but he also didn’t want someone reporting Kyoya’s behavior back to his father. “Come on, let’s get you to your hotel room.” Kaoru slipped an arm around Kyoya’s waist and snuck him out of the party room and to the elevator.

When Kaoru finally managed to get Kyoya into bed, he let out a relieved breath. “What’s gotten into you, Kyoya? You’re never like this,” Kaoru murmured looking over the dark haired man. Kyoya was snoring lightly, already passed out, so Kaoru pulled off Kyoya’s shoes and tucked him into bed. As he was going to leave, Kyoya managed to grab Kaoru’s wrist in a tight grip,  


“Stay,” he mumbled and Kaoru leaned down  


“What?” Kyoya grabbed Kaoru’s collar and pulled him down closer  


“Stay the night,” he managed more clearly,  


“Fine, alright, but you’re moving over. I’m not sleeping on the floor when I have a perfectly comfortable hotel room of my own.” Kyoya flopped over giving Kaoru room to crawl in. The redhead looked down at his glitter suit and made the call to remove it for both of their sakes. He stripped down to his boxer briefs and carefully hung it up in the closet then climbed into bed with Kyoya. Once Kaoru settled in, Kyoya cuddled up to him and in the depths of his being Kaoru knew that the morning would not be fun. Whether Kyoya woke up angry that Kaoru was in his bed and not Haruhi or because he would be hung over, Kaoru didn’t know, but he was definitely fearful of the outcome. So, Kaoru decided to savor the moment. He’d crossed a line on the runway and realized that, yes, he felt something for Kyoya. Not just friendship, either. And maybe, just maybe, Kyoya felt something too, but Kaoru refused to push him on it. He’d rather have him as a friend than not at all, and Kyoya had been a great friend to him.  


Much to Kaoru’s surprise, he woke up in one piece the next morning. He could hear the shower and assumed Kyoya had decided to wash away his alcohol influenced sins. Kaoru took it upon himself to dress and sneak out of the hotel room and back to his own. He packed up his things and made his way down to the hotel restaurant where his parents and Hikaru were waiting for him. Hikaru waved him over and Kaoru took a seat next to his brother,  


“I must say, Hikaru, your designs were incredible. A fresh take, and with Kaoru running the marketing, I think you’ll be more than successful together,” their father said then sipped from his mug of coffee.  


“Actually,” Kaoru interjected after placing his order with the waitress, “I won’t be running the marketing on Hikaru’s design career.” He said casually and glanced to Hikaru who didn’t at all look surprised. He smiled and nodded for Kaoru to continue. “I’m going into Interior Design, it’s not as glamorous as Fashion Design, but I think it will add something new to the Hitachiin name. Clients will have us in their closets and their kitchens, living rooms, bathrooms. It’ll be an individual endeavor that benefits everyone,” he pitched to his parents. His mother and father watched him, he weighed their reactions, then they looked at each other.  


“Well, it’s different, but if it’s what you want, Kaoru, I’ll support you,” Mrs. Hitachiin said placing her hand on top of his,  


“ _We_ will support you,” and his father placed his hand on top of his mother’s. Finally, Hikaru placed his hand at the very top of the pile and smiled to Kaoru,  


“All of us,” Kaoru began to thank his family when his phone started ringing. He looked to it, an unknown number, and decided to answer it in case it was something important,

“Hello?”  


_“Hey, is this Kaoru?”_  


“Yeah, wait, Mai?”  


_“Yeah, yeah anyway, next week saturday we have a figure drawing class for art club, but we’re short models. You’re a handsome dude, will you help us out?”_  


“How did you get this number?”  


_“Irrelevant, now are you in?”_  


“Yeah, sure, I guess, just don’t give anyone else my phone number,” Mai hung up the line before he finished his sentence and Kaoru turned to his family exacerbated.  


“Who was that?” Hikaru questioned,  


“A girl from school,”  


“Dang it, I was hoping it would be a boyfriend,” Hikaru teased him. Kaoru stuck his tongue out at his brother just as the waitresses arrived with their food. The Hitachiin’s fell into comfortable silence as they ate and for the first time in months Kaoru felt at peace.


	6. Kyoya

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Kyoya makes a poor choice and seeks advice,

# Kyoya

Kyoya was avoiding Kaoru. The moment classes began, he spent all his time in the library, in the dining hall, or in Tamaki’s dorm. He only returned to their dorm to sleep and Kyoya was entirely aware that Kaoru knew he was avoiding him. It started the day after the fashion show, when Kyoya woke up in Kaoru’s arms, and he remembered his actions from the night prior.  


Kyoya had confessed his potential feelings for Kaoru to Haruhi in not so many words, but in implications. Haruhi was anything but stupid and understood immediately, though she was a little taken aback saying, _“Kaoru?” _Upon finding out, but followed it up with a promise to do anything she could to help which wasn’t much. Her company was more help than anything and Kyoya was glad he hadn’t been sitting alone in the audience. He wasn’t sure he would have been able to keep the dumbstruck look off his face when he saw Kaoru walking down the runway without her there. Kyoya had known exactly which twin was which and Kaoru had looked breathtaking...and Kyoya had told him which ruined everything.  
__

__Or, that’s what Kyoya told himself. He’d ruined it. He was relieved when he’d left the shower the morning after the fashion show to find Kaoru was no longer in the room and made the choice then to avoid him at all costs. If Kaoru told anyone what he’d said… well. Kyoya feared being disowned. It was one thing if he told his family he’d fallen for Haruhi, sure his family liked both Haruhi and Kaoru, but Haruhi was a girl which was entirely more acceptable among High Society vultures. Though his family had never given any indication to homophobia, Kyoya didn’t want to tempt the fates. However, as the week went on avoiding Kaoru began to take its toll, for all Kyoya wanted was to lie in bed and watch a Korean drama, preferably with Kaoru next to him.  
It was Saturday when Kyoya decided to call his sister for advice. He was alone inside his dorm room and knew that Kaoru wouldn’t be back for another three hours as he was at work. Kyoya took a deep breath, dialed his sister, and held the phone away from his ear on speaker.  
_ _

___“KYOYA!”_ Fuyumi greeted loudly on the line  
_ _

__“Hey sis,” Fuyumi immediately bombarded him with a series of questions including his classes, dorm life, friends, clubs he’d joined. Kyoya artfully answered all of her questions in ways to both satisfy his sister while not revealing too much to her. He liked to keep some things private after all,  
_ _

___“So what’s up? You never call me,”_ she asked him,  
_ _

__“I’m seeking your advice about a delicate subject,”  
_ _

___“Alright, it me with it,”_ Kyoya took in a breath then let it out,  
_ _

__“I’ve developed strong feelings for someone I’m not sure father would approve of and rather than inquiring with him about it I’ve gone ahead and began avoiding this person, but it’s starting to wear on me and also, evidently, them. I guess, what I’m asking is, would father shame me for- for loving someone?” Kyoya spoke faster than he could think, getting it all out before he could stop himself.  
_ _

___“You want my honest opinion?”_  
_ _

__“I wouldn’t have asked for it if I didn’t want it,”  
_ _

___“Fuck him.”_ Fuyumi responded immediately, _“you’re the third son, Kyoya. He makes it known to you constantly, so use being the third son to your advantage. Love whoever you want and love them with everything you have if it makes you happy,”_ Kyoya sat there silently absorbing his sisters words, then without thinking he said,  
_ _

__“Even if they’re a man?” without hesitation, Fuyumi answered,  
_ _

___“Especially if they’re a man, if someone has caught your eye then that tells me they’re truly something special. Stop avoiding him and apologize,”_  
_ _

__“Thanks, sis,”  
_ _

___“Anytime, now, don’t be a stranger, okay? And call me for more than life changing advice! It’s nice to just catch up with you, you know!”_ Kyoya gave Fuyumi his love and apologies and after promising to call her every other week, he hung up the phone. Kyoya looked at the clock on his bedside table which read 3:45, then spied the HokkaidoU Art Society pamphlet beside it. He picked it up and flipped it open hoping they had something going on today for which he would be able to turn off his thoughts and learn something new then come out of the class and figure out a way to apologize to Kaoru. Kyoya was in luck, the art club had a figure drawing class at four. He jumped to his feet, grabbed his satchel, and rushed to the art studio.  
_ _

__The studio had a handful of students attending the class, twelve to be precise, and apparently, from what Kyoya overheard, there would only be four models. He liked the smaller number, it meant there wouldn’t be as many people in his way, and the volume of the class wouldn’t bother him. This should be relaxing, he thought as he set up his chair and grabbed the necessary supplies including a sketch pad, a few different pencils including an HB, a 6h, and a 6B, and two types of erasers. Well, he was wrong.  
_ _

__“Kyoya!” Tamaki called from behind him and Kyoya rolled his eyes. Of course Tamaki would be there to impose on Kyoya’s relaxation. _Of course._ When Kyoya turned around he realized exactly how much Tamaki would be imposing, for the blonde stood proudly in the nude. He knew it was a figure drawing class, assumed it to be a nude figure drawing class, had not anticipated seeing anyone he knew. Let alone two people. Next to Tamaki stood Kaoru in all his naked glory and Kyoya nearly screamed. Nearly. His face grew hot and he contemplated bolting out of the room, but he couldn’t. _“Stop avoiding him and apologize”_ Fuyumi’s words echoed in his mind as his eyes flickered around the room like those of a trapped cat in search of escape, but there was no escape so Kyoya sat down and begrudgingly accepted his fate.  
_ _

__The other two models who stepped out were women and the four took their time finding their poses while Kyoya used every ounce of internal strength he had not to stare at Kaoru. The man was gorgeous and Kyoya had shamefully ignored him for a week. He couldn’t draw Kaoru, there was no way, but as the models settled into their poses and the other artists began to sketch Kyoya couldn’t stop himself. Kaoru was lying on his side, hand supporting his chin, and his top leg crossed slightly to cover himself. Kyoya sketched. He sketched the curvature of Kaoru’s body and when he felt it was right, he added little details. He focused for a long time on the faraway look in Kaoru’s eyes as he gazed off into the distance.  
_ _

__A cough from one of the other students broke Kyoya’s focus and he looked over to find Mai watching him with a knowing smirk on her face. She nodded to Kaoru and winked causing Kyoya to scowl. She laughed, further breaking the silence of the room, and Kyoya forced himself back to his sketch.  
_ _

__When the class concluded, and after the models had dressed, Tamaki bounded up to Kyoya and snatched the sketch pad out of his hands. “Let’s see if you did me justice!” Kyoya moved to snatch the sketch pad back but it was too late. “Wait, this is…” Tamaki looked from the paper over to Kaoru who was chatting with Mai and Kyoya followed his gaze and watched them too. Only when Kaoru looked over to them did Kyoya snatch the drawing back. He quickly shut the sketch book and held it tight as Kaoru walked over to them.  
_ _

__“Hey, did you guys want to go to dinner with Mai and me?” He asked and every part of Kyoya wanted to say, _With you and Mai? No. With you? Yes._ But he didn’t and before he could decline Tamaki accepted the invitation for both of them._ _

____

The group went to one of Mai’s favorite restaurants since she was a local and also insisted on it claiming they had the best gyoza in all of Sapporo. Kyoya didn’t care much about the gyoza exclamation since he didn’t like the fried dumplings very much, but decided to humor her and order them. Partly because he knew she’d never shut up if he didn’t and also because Kaoru liked gyoza. If Kaoru liked gyoza, then gyoza there would be. Kyoya would never admit it, but it was the best gyoza he’d ever had.  


____

“So you three know each other? How?” Thankfully, Kyoya didn’t have to sit next to Kaoru, but that meant he had to look at him as he sat right across the table.  


____

“Secondary school, the three of us were in a club together along with a few friends of ours,” Tamaki explained  


____

“Really? What kind of club?” Mai asked,  


____

“Well, it was a Host Club,” he continued, “I was the president and Kyoya was my Vice President, Kaoru and his twin brother Hikaru were two of our most popular Hosts until our friend Haruhi came along,”  


____

“Really? What made you two so popular?” Mai asked directing the question to Kaoru who sat beside her. Kaoru’s face reddened and he looked to Tamaki for help,  


____

“He...they… brotherly love. They had borderline incestuous brotherly love,” Tamaki explained. As he looked back on it, he visibly cringed.  


____

“What? How did _that_ pull the ladies in,” Mai was laughing,  


____

“It’s hard to explain, easier to show, but Hikaru isn’t here to play the part of the pitcher so it isn’t like I could show you,” Kaoru said,  


____

“Oh! I could be Hikaru!” Tamaki piped up. Kyoya’s fists clenched and he began to diffuse the situation,  


____

“Now, Tamaki, this isn’t an appropriate setting for any of your shenanigans,”  


____

“Well if you don’t want me doing it, Kyoya, then perhaps you’d like to play the part of Hikaru. We can’t just leave Mai in the dark you know!” Kyoya knew it was a trap, but he had to walk into it. If he said no, he’d only potentially upset Kaoru further, and if he said yes, he’d get to hold Kaoru and _hot damn_ did Kyoya want to hold Kaoru.  


____

“Fine! I’ll do it, but we have to switch seats.” Mai and Kyoya switched seats so that he was sitting next to Kaoru who was on the inside of the booth with no escape. “Normally,” Kyoya began to explain, “Hikaru would tell a fake embarrassing story or Kaoru would fake hurt himself, say if Kaoru gave himself a paper cut,” Kyoya took Kaoru’s hand and pulled it to his face. He then proceeded to gently kiss each of Kaoru’s finger tips. “Maybe his shoulder’s hurt,” Kyoya motioned for Kaoru to turn around and he obliged. Kyoya then went to work massaging Kaoru’s shoulders, “he’d then lean in, and whisper something in Kaoru’s ear,” he whispered into Kaoru’s ear causing the redhead to shudder, “or maybe, Kaoru would bump his head,” he turned Kaoru back around and placed a hand gently on either side of his face. Kaoru closed his eyes as Kyoya leaned in and gingerly placed kisses all along Kaoru’s forehead, from temple to temple, and back again. The last kiss lingered a bit longer than the rest before Kyoya slowly, reluctantly, moved away, “and if Hikaru had made Kaoru cry from an embarrassing story, he’d wipe away his tears,” Kyoya’s thumbs gently brushed Kaoru’s cheeks as he stared into his golden eyes. If they had been alone, Kyoya would have happily gotten lost in Kaoru’s eyes. He would have forgotten himself and leaned in and he would have placed a kiss on Kaoru’s lips just as softly as he had his forehead.  
But they weren’t alone.  


____

“Wow, I suppose I could see why girls would eat that up, MLM fetishizers are the absolute worst,” Mai went on. Kyoya dropped his hands in his lap and turned to face Tamaki and Mai across the table. His face burned as he sat next to Kaoru, both of them were stiff and sitting as far apart in the booth as they could.  


____

“It’s what we thrived off of,” Tamaki admitted, “say, Mai, you have keys to the art studio, right? I think I left my wallet in there,” Tamaki said as he patted himself down,  


____

“Oh, what? Yeah, I do, we can run and get them quick,”  


____

“Yeah? That would be great, we’ll be right back okay? If the waitress returns before we do, order whatever,” Tamaki rushed out with Mai trailing behind him leaving Kyoya and Kaoru to their devices. Kyoya moved to the otherside of the booth to gain some sort of distance, the safety of a table between him and Kaoru, before finally looking to Kaoru. The redhead was watching him intently with narrowed eyes and Kyoya realized now was as good a time as any to apologize,  


____

“Kaoru,”  


____

“No.” He cut him off immediately, "you don’t get cuddle with me, treat me like I mean something to you, tell me I’m beautiful then _fucking ignore me for a week_ only to come back and kiss me sweetly like nothing happened. _Fuck you, Kyoya._ ” His arms were crossed and his lips were pursed and Kyoya wished he could disappear,  


____

“Is that everything?” he asked, Kaoru’s eyes wandered as he thought it over then snapped back to attention on Kyoya,  


____

“Yes,”  


____

“Then shut up and listen,” Kaoru furrowed his brows while Kyoya took the opportunity to explain himself, “I did- I do think,” he looked around then quieted his voice, “I think you’re incredible, Kaoru. When I said you’re beautiful, I meant it. Every kiss I placed? I meant them. I was scared of what my father might think if he found out I had feelings for… for a man. So I hid from you and for that I am so, so sorry, Kaoru.”  


____

“I don’t think you get it,” Kaoru said leaning in so he wouldn’t have to raise his voice, “that hurt, a lot, I wasn’t going to tell anyone, you know. You obviously didn’t trust me enough to keep whatever was going on to myself, and that sucks,”  


____

“I didn’t want you to have to keep it to yourself if you didn’t want to,”  


____

“That’s not your decision to make alone, Kyoya! You’re admitting there was something, _there is something_ and you decided to make a decision about it- us- without the other half of the equation. Me. I don’t want you to confess your feelings for me on a rooftop, I want you to have enough trust in me to know that if you wanted to pursue something quietly then all you had to do was talk to me, but you didn’t. You ran away.” Kaoru was right. Kyoya knew he was right but he didn't know how he could fix it, so he asked,  


____

“What can I do to fix this?”  


____

“Be my date,” Kaoru said without missing a beat, “a family friend is getting married in two week, and you’ll be my plus one. If you were so concerned about the opportunity to go out publicly-”  


____

“What color tie?” Kyoya cut him off, “if we’re attending together we’ll want to match,” Kyoya watched as Kaoru bit the inside of his cheek then smiled. His anger had diffused for the time being causing Kyoya to lessen the tension in his posture,  


____

“Cobalt,”  


____

“Cobalt, very specific,”  


____

“You asked,” Kaoru explained, “now get over here before Tamaki and Mai come back so we can mess with them,” Kyoya couldn’t help but smile as he slid back over next to Kaoru. 

__-_ _

When Mai and Tamaki returned, they sat down to find Kyoya and Kaoru with their arms crossed looking in opposite directions. Kyoya broke his pose to glare at them causing Tamaki to shy back in his seat.  
“Everything okay?” Mai asked, but neither of the men answered her. 

____

Food was delivered to the table and the four ate in tense silence that Kyoya relished in. Sure, he owed Tamaki for forcing him to talk to Kaoru, but that didn't mean he wasn’t going to cause the idiot discomfort any chance he could get. The treatment seemed to be working on Mai as well, she began shifting in her seat uncomfortably and casting worried glances to both Kaoru and Kyoya. Eventually, they stopped trying to make conversation altogether and the roommates were able to eat their meal in peace. Mai was the first to leave, slapping cash on the table and claiming she had a project to tend to. Tamaki followed shortly after by saying he had a date with Haruhi, not that either of them believed him, but they waved him on ahead and told him to get lost leaving Kaoru and Kyoya to walk back to campus themselves.  


____

Kyoya kept glancing down to Kaoru’s hand then back to the pavement then back down to his hand again. This went on for nearly three minutes before he finally sucked in a breath and intentionally brushed his hand against Kaoru’s. Kaoru intertwined their fingers and Kyoya released the breath,  


____

“This doesn’t mean you’re off the hook,” Kaoru grumbled, he wasn’t as terrifyingly angry as earlier, but he was evidently still upset.  


____

“Will you loosen the hook if I buy you an ice cream?”  


____

“No, but I might loosen it if you buy me some wine,” Kaoru smiled cheekily at Kyoya who shook his head.  


____

“How about wine and movie night?” Kyoya proposed. They stopped in front of a liquor store debating the movie they would watch. When that was settled, Kyoya insisted they get a type of wine to pair nicely with the movie. Movies had themes, wines had flavors and flavors had feelings much like movies. Or, at least, that was Kyoya’s argument. They settled their argument by each of them getting their own wine and agreeing to binge a tv show as opposed to a movie.  
When they got home, they curled up on Kyoya’s bed and debated over the show of choice before settling on one they thought they’d both enjoy. They fell asleep cuddled up with the show playing in the background and both a little too tipsy to care about the noise.

____


	7. Kiss Kiss Fall In Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Kaoru and Kyoya attend a wedding.

# Kaoru

Two weeks. The two weeks were a slew of discoveries and discomfort paired with a sense of being seen and known. Kaoru and Kyoya had to do something both of them were terrible at, _communicating_. Kaoru had never needed to vocally communicate with Hikaru for him to understand what he needed or wanted, but Kyoya wasn’t his twin brother which meant when Kaoru wanted something he had to ask for it and he hated asking for things.

After some bumps in the road the two got better at conversing, and it was Kyoya who ultimately sat Kaoru down to establish boundaries. “Yes, I want to date you, but I want to maintain it privately for the most part,” Kyoya had said for which Kaoru agreed and understood. He wanted their relationship to be private as well, but they’d agreed to go on dinner and movie dates and other such things. It wasn’t a closeted relationship but a closed off one. If someone inquired, they agreed to answer however they felt comfortable whether it to be a _maybe_ or a _yes_ , but they weren’t allowed to flat out say no. They both agreed denying their relationship could cause some problems that they agreed it better to avoid.

Kaoru was a bubbling mess by the end of week one. Between the cuddling, the hand holding, the occasional kisses he was a walking beam of sunshine. He radiated a happiness that translated into everything he did causing his peers to notice the change in his behavior. Mai had started questioning him up one side and down the other as to why Kaoru Hitachiin suddenly seemed so...happy. He’d been the opposite when they had first met, and Kaoru understood her confusion but he liked being happy. He also liked keeping her in the dark and ever-so-often he’d drop little hints as to what could possibly be the reason his mood had shifted, and Mai would eat them up like a fangirl finding fanfiction of her favorite ship. It could be good or bad because it was content and Mai loved content.  


Kyoya had confessed to doing a similar thing to Tamaki, but Kaoru was well aware that Tamaki had an idea of what was going on. The blonde was an idiot, but he wasn’t that dumb. Besides, it was obvious he had started to, er, ship? Yes, Tamaki had started to ship his two friends. Which, at least, was nice to know that the newfound couple had one of their friends on their side. Well, two, including Haruhi. Neither had outright told her that they’d begun dating, but she knew when Kaoru sent her a photo of the two of them at the community garden and sent a thumbs up and several differing heart emojis.

It wasn’t until the beginning of week two that Kaoru realized he had to tell Hikaru at some point. His brother would be absolutely livid if he was kept in the dark, but Kaoru still wasn’t sure how to talk to Hikaru anymore. Sure, they’d come to a new understanding after the fashion show and Kaoru owed Hikaru everything for that, but he wasn’t sure how to broach the topic of ‘I’m dating Kyoya Ootori the Shadow King, the Shameless Debt Collector, the Heartless Devil’. All of which were false statements, but they were statements the brother’s had used since first meeting him. Kaoru would call Kyoya more considerate than maybe anyone would agree. During the time since they’d started dating and even a bit before, Kyoya would almost always bring food back to the dorm to give to Kaoru knowing full well that he hadn’t eaten yet. Kaoru was bad at remembering when to eat, he’d hyperfixate so much sometimes that one minute it would be noon and the next he’d realized he missed his 3pm lecture and dinner because it was 7pm.

Kyoya would also, almost always, get a coffee or a pastry while Kaoru was at work. He wouldn’t stay around for long, but long enough to flirt in his own Kyoya way then head off to do whatever it was Kyoya did when Kaoru wasn’t around. These small things that Kyoya did added up to one large realization that Kaoru, though he tried to reason it was too soon to feel such a feeling, but he was fairly certain he had fallen in love. Kaoru spent hours trying to talk himself down about the revelation. He couldn’t possibly have fallen in love with Kyoya already? Could he? But the more he thought about it, the more he realized that yeah, yeah he could. They’d been dating for two weeks, roommates for a month, and had known each other since secondary school. It was _entirely_ possible and that terrified Kaoru more than anything because he wanted to tell him, but he didn’t know how.

As Kaoru dressed for the wedding, he pondered how he would make his two confessions. He knew he couldn’t avoid telling Hikaru, but he also knew he’d risk accidentally telling Kyoya that he loved him. The idea of ruining their relationship because he’d fallen too far too fast scared Kaoru. He didn’t want Kyoya to feel uncomfortable, nor did he want to keep his feelings bottled in. So, Kaoru decided he’d pull Hikaru aside later and quietly tell him he and Kyoya were seeing each other. That way he’d be safe from Kyoya hearing him in case he gushed a bit too much because Hikaru would likely ask questions and Kaoru would be unable to hold back.  


“You look nice,” Kyoya said from behind Kaoru. Kaoru beamed at him and turned to fix his tie.

“They’re always crooked,” Kaoru commented,

“Perhaps that’s how I like to wear my ties,”

“Then perhaps you should get used to them being straight,” Kyoya raised a brow and Kaoru stopped what he was doing. He looked to Kyoya and said, “don’t you da-”

“They’d be the straightest thing about me,” Kyoya quipped before Kaoru could finish. He gave a dejected sigh and rested his head on Kyoya’s shoulder.

“I adore your newfound pride but the jokes are painful,” Kaoru murmured into his shoulder. He received a chuckle in response to which he pulled away. The alarm on his phone sounded and he quickly silenced it as the pair rushed out the door.

The wedding was far more casual than the usual event Kaoru was used to. The bride and groom had shared their nuptials with immediate family at the hotel shrine then met the rest of the guests in the reception hall. Tables were set up for dinner and off to the far-side was a stage and a dance floor beneath it.  


The Hitachiin’s, Kyoya, and Haruhi sat at one table for the dinner and exchanged pleasantries as they waited for their meal. Kaoru watched as Haruhi drank more than he’d ever seen her do in his time of knowing her, which he’d assumed was in part to Hikaru being extra...Hikaru-y. He seemed emboldened to act more obnoxious than usual, but his antics caused Kaoru and his parents to laugh. He’d been going off about one of his professors when Kyoya excused himself from the table. Kaoru furrowed his brow as the bride and groom's first dance was sure to begin which meant that soon everyone would be dancing, and Kaoru wanted a dance.

  


He went to find Kyoya, but when he looked around the hotel lobby he couldn’t find the dark haired man anywhere and resigned to returning to the wedding. He caught the tail end of the first dance and soon the other guests joined on the dance floor. Hikaru was dancing with Haruhi who stumbled over her feet slightly from both alcohol and because even with all the training they’d given her in secondary school, she still wasn’t good at dancing. Then an idea came to him,

“May I cut in?” Kaoru asked once he’d reached Hikaru and Haruhi, but before Hikaru could tell him to butt out, Kaoru grabbed Haruhi and began dancing with her. He laughed as Hikaru seethed and he spun her away from him.

“ _Oh no_ ,” Haruhi groaned and Kaoru stopped spinning her. He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to find Kyoya standing behind him,

“Perhaps I might have a go?” Haruhi shook her head,

“No more spinning,” she said,

“That’s fine,” Kyoya took Kaoru’s hand and pulled him to him.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Kaoru questioned and Kyoya answered,

“Dancing with you,”

“Why?” Kaoru’s voice edged on teasing. He admittedly had a few glasses of champagne himself and his mind had gone from tense and worried about accidentally confessing his feelings to just having fun. He’d also entirely forgotten that he had planned to tell Hikaru about his relationship with Kyoya.

“Because,” Kaoru gave him a suspicious look,

“Because _why_?”

“Because…” Kyoya took in a breath and Kaoru’s heart rate quickened out of worry. Was something wrong? Did he do something? Was Kyoya going to break up with him? “I love you,” Kaoru’s mind fell silent and his eyes went wide and it was several beats later before he realized he hadn’t said it back and in the midst of shock all he could manage was,

  


“That’s a terrible choice, really,” the corner of Kyoya’s lips tugged upwards in a smile,

“Agree to disagree,”

“Well, if you- if you feel that way then prove it,” Kaoru said almost brattily. All sense had left him as his brain tried to process Kyoya saying ‘I love you’. Never had he expected Kyoya to return the sentiment, especially not vocally, but to have said it first? The statement wasn’t for a business venture, it wouldn’t aid Kyoya in any of his endeavors, and it certainly wouldn’t make his father proud of him. Yet he said it, and Kaoru was so lost in thought he didn’t realize what Kyoya was doing until his lips were on his.

He hadn’t realized Kyoya had placed a hand on the side of his face and he hadn’t noticed him leaning in. But here they were, in the middle of the dance floor, sharing a kiss that said more than anyone else could realize. It was the perfect answer to Kaoru’s challenge and he got lost in the feeling immediately. Only when he heard a very loud, very confused, and very much Hikaru’s voice shout _“WHAT THE FUCK”_ did Kaoru pull away from Kyoya,  
“I love you too,”

## Kiss Kiss Fall In Love!

## 


End file.
